The Camino de Santiago: From Lectoure to Aire-sur-l’Adour

Easy to moderate. 4 to 7 hours of walking per day, with no technical difficulties, but sometimes very hot weather in summer (plan to set off early in the morning) … The entire trail is waymarked with GR markings (white and red) and/or scallop shell symbols.

No luggage to carry: you only carry a small daypack with your picnic lunch and anything you need for the day. Your luggage will be waiting for you every evening at the end of the day’s walk. Your luggage is transported by vehicle and is limited to one bag per person, weighing no more than 10 kg.

From 2 people.

7 days, 6 nights, 6 days of walking.

Choose your departure date from April to mid-October.

Self-guided trip, without a guide; you will be given a comprehensive travel pack, including, among other items, a route guide with maps, a list of accommodation and vouchers (itinerary). Depending on the arrangements, you will receive your pack before departure or collect it at your first accommodation.
1 travel pack per booking.

Half-board accommodation. Choose from two options:

• Walkers' hostels: these hostels are reserved for walkers on multi-day routes. Sleeping accommodation is in dormitories or, at best, rooms with 4 to 8 beds; in both cases, you share with other people. Blankets are provided, but bed linen and towels are not (these can usually be hired on site — not included, payable locally). Shared bathroom facilities (showers, washbasins and toilets) are located outside the rooms.

• In hotels of various categories or in guesthouses, subject to availability (usually with a shower or bath and toilet in the room).

For practical reasons, including cleaning, stocking up and allowing the owners to rest, arrival and check-in at walkers' lodges and guesthouses are not possible before 4pm/4.30pm.

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated one or two years ago. This does not mean that their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms.
If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “2* or equivalent”: this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers comfort comparable to that of a 2* hotel.

• Dinners: served from 7pm/7.30pm; most of the time, these consist of the day’s pilgrim menu (starter, main course and dessert). During your walk, you will discover regional specialities.

• Breakfasts: served from 7.30am, at the table or as a buffet, they usually include a hot drink, bread and/or pastries, butter and jam, and sometimes fruit juice, yoghurt and sweetened cereals.

• Picnics: most accommodation providers offer packed lunches (not included, payable locally). The walking guide supplied in your travel pack provides information on where to buy supplies in shops at your overnight stops and/or along the route.

Please tell us about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

All our accommodation has been selected for its welcoming service, comfort and cleanliness. Nevertheless, some providers have reported the return of bedbugs, which are most often carried by walkers. To help accommodation providers eradicate this problem and reduce the risk of bites, you should spray the inside and outside of your luggage (your daypack and your transferred bag), as well as all your clothing and footwear. Sprays are available from pharmacies and some accommodation providers; some products are 100% natural and ECOCERT-certified. To reduce the risk of spreading bedbugs, we ask you to follow the accommodation providers' instructions carefully and not regard them as unreasonable restrictions (for example, a ban on taking your luggage and backpacks into bedrooms or dormitories). Once you return home, if you have any concerns, we recommend washing all your belongings at 65°C or, alternatively, placing them in a freezer for 2 days (bedbugs do not survive temperatures below 0°C).

Day 1: in the late afternoon at your accommodation in Lectoure.

Day 8: in the late afternoon in Barcelonne-du-Gers or Aire-sur-l’Adour. An additional night can be booked.

Lectoure SNCF railway station. Travel by train to Agen, then take an SNCF bus to Lectoure.

From Paris, 6 hours 30 minutes via the A10 and A20. From Lyon, via the A89 and A20, 5 hours 30 minutes. From Toulouse, 1 hour 30 minutes via the A62.

Via Michelin website.

You can leave your vehicle in a free car park (Sardac) near your accommodation (with the Hotels and Guesthouses option). With the gîte option, you can park in the thermal baths car park, a 3-minute walk away (paid parking).

Vehicle return service: contact Transports Claudine, Tel.: 05.62.28.67.92 or 06.74.91.90.65, or email transports.claudinegmail.com genafcbegf.pynhqvar@tznvy.pbz

At the end of the tour

The villages of Barcelonne-du-Gers in the Gers and Aire-sur-l’Adour in the Landes border each other, and their centres are approximately 1,5km apart. Scheduled buses and trains run from these two villages towards Lectoure, Paris and northern France, as well as towards Auch or Toulouse (direct services or with connections). To find out about the different options, contact the Aire-sur-l’Adour Tourist Office, Tel.: 05.58.71.64.70, Aire Eugénie Tourism.

Transport services or the SNCF information office in Aire-sur-l’Adour – Tel.: 0558716465, Monday to Friday (closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays), from 09:40 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00.

For a return journey from Barcelonne-du-Gers or Aire-sur-l’Adour to Lectoure:

• By minibus at 12:30 (an additional night’s stay is required), to be reserved when booking

• Aire-sur-l’Adour Tourist Office, Tel.: 0558716470

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, during a day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame not to make the most of them. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether swimming is appropriate; you therefore swim under your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

With a seat on the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector move towards more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and foster rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our concrete actions in support of responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainable development policy

For hiking

• Hiking boots with ankle support, well-treaded soles, a firm heel counter and good waterproofing

• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)

• A fleece

• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)

• Shorts, T-shirts and technical underwear (quick-drying fabric)

• A long-sleeved shirt (quick-drying technical fabric)

• Trekking poles (telescopic), very important for making walking easier

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting sweat odours! (Brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.).

As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you cold when wet

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection) and sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A windbreaker
• A rain poncho or a Gore-Tex jacket

For your lunchtime picnic

• A plastic bowl, container or plate

• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)

• A water bottle with a capacity of at least 1.5 litre (required); an insulated flask for winter

After your walk

• A pair of running shoes for the evening

• A change of clothes and personal clothing

• A toiletry bag and a small towel

• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Biogaze or “2nd skin”, gauze, disinfectant, arnica pellets and aspirin for minor aches and injuries… (quite a list! But rest assured, your first-aid kit often returns untouched after your week of hiking)

• A comfortable small backpack of 40 to 50 L with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day

• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, limited to 10 kg.

France

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Gascogne Lomagne Tourist Office
Place Gén De Gaulle - 32700 Lectoure

France: +33.

There may be no mobile reception along some sections of your hike.

No time difference: GMT +1.

The Gers department has an oceanic climate with some continental influence. Winter cold is therefore moderate, while in summer the warm air and succession of beautiful sunny days delight holidaymakers staying in the area. The department’s climate has four distinct seasons, and the period from April to October offers pleasant weather conditions.

From photography books and historical essays to travel accounts and novels, the route has inspired many authors.
General works:

• The Routes to Santiago de Compostela – Bernard BRIAIS, Editions de Borée (October 2013), 240 pages. Through photographs, this beautiful book invites us to discover or rediscover the beautiful places, historic monuments and natural sites along the four historic routes of the Camino de Santiago.

• A Thousand Years Towards Santiago de Compostela: The Adventure of Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago – Patrick HUCHET, Editions Ouest France - Album Collection (October 2012), 204 pages. This book traces the entire history of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, from its beginnings in the 9th century to its revival in the 20th century.

• The Pilgrimage – Paulo COELHO, Editions 84 - J’ai Lu Collection (April 2009), 256 pages. In this novel, the author, who himself undertook the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, recounts his journey of self-discovery in a simple, flowing style, presenting it as a universal experience.

Cultural and Travel Guides

• Gallimard Guide to the CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

• Huchet / Yvon Boelle, On the Routes to Santiago de Compostela, Patrick- Rennes, Ouest France - 1999 (covers the French and Spanish sections).

• Pocket Guides for Walkers and Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago

To Compostela - F. Lepère. Lepère Publishing – February 2009.

Historical Essays

• Yves BOTINEAU, The Routes of the Camino de Santiago - - Arthaud Publishing. (Being reprinted).

• Xavier Barral, Compostela, the Great Route, Découverte Gallimard

• The Routes to Santiago de Compostela, In Situ Collection, MSM Publishing

• Jacques de Voragine, The Golden Legend -, Point Seuil 1998. This book is less concerned with history than with romanticising the lives of the saints: in other words, how legends are created.

Internet

• Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago

• Routes to Santiago de Compostela

• The Crossroads

The pilgrim’s passport, or “credencial” or “créanciale”:

This document is well known to pilgrims and allows them to keep a written record of their journey. This passport is a powerful symbol of belonging to the community of walkers on the Camino de Santiago. It should be stamped at each stage and confirms your status as a pilgrim. It is issued by Camino de Santiago associations, but you can also obtain one when setting off from Le Puy-en-Velay.

Novels

• Coelho, Paulo, The Pilgrimage, A. Carrière Publishing, 1991. The philosopher takes us along the route in a beautiful book that should not be confused with a travel account or a historical study.

La Procure bookshops, which specialise in Catholicism, offer a wide selection of books. One example in Paris: La Procure 3, rue de Mézières 75006 Paris, Tel.: 01.45.48.20.25. There are also branches elsewhere in France.

The Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park has remarkably well-preserved and diverse natural habitats that support a particularly rich variety of wildlife and plants. To date, the following have been recorded: 198 species of birds, 58 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, 14 species of amphibians, 102 species of butterflies, 48 species of dragonflies, and 51 species of orthopterans (insects). There are more than 1000 plant species, of which 150 are considered notable. Several species are of national or European conservation interest: European pond turtle, yellow-bellied toad, white-clawed crayfish, large copper butterfly, Eurasian otter, Eurasian eagle-owl, short-toed snake eagle, Eurasian stone-curlew and ocellated lizard. Notable plant species include limestone sandwort and Guillon’s ironwort.